Whereas (Layli Long Soldier)

Whereas is a collection of poems by Layli Long Soldier, a Native American residing in New Mexico whose poetry has been published in numerous outlets in recent years.  Her work is a reflection of her Lakota heritage and the history of struggle her nation has endured throughout America’s existence as settlers steadily encroached on land the Lakota had lived on for thousands of years.  Her poems are uniquely about her life and her existence as she struggled to find her voice while growing up, using poetry as the way to express herself.

Reviewing poetry is something we have never done here at 1776 Books, and taking on a collection of modern poetry is definitely outside of our “norm” for reviewing. However, Long Soldier’s story and her expressive writing flow creatively, albeit not easily, throughout the book's 100 pages, 30 of which are appropriately titled Whereas statements that peel away at the first word of the apology offered by the United States to Native Americans in 2009.  These raw arguments make the official apology feel quite hollow by the time Long Soldier is done dissecting it.

Poetry readers may need to reflect slowly on Whereas -- it is not the easiest, breeziest poetry you will read but the message is powerful.  If you wish to be challenged and want to devour arguments that may challenge your thinking, Whereas is for you. 

MY RATING - 4

The Woman in Cabin 10 (Ruth Ware)

It's the rare book that I read over a 24-hour time period.  I usually like to savor novels over a few days/weeks, especially the ones I'm particularly enjoying.  Ruth Ware's The Woman in Cabin 10 was the exception, as I couldn't put it down and raced to the end to see how Ware would finish it.

Travel journalist Lo Blacklock has just been burglarized at her home but doesn't want to cancel the major assignment she's been given at work: to write about her experience during a week on a new cruise boat.  At the beginning, everything seems wonderful -- luxurious accommodations, delicious food/drink, and pleasant travel companions.  This is a tiny vessel, with only ten cabins, but the last cabin is empty due to a cancellation.  But one night, Lo hears what sounds like someone being dumped overboard from that cabin; she can't get anyone to believe her though because that cabin is supposed to be empty.  Except it isn't -- Lo had previously knocked on that door and talked with the woman who she thought was the inhabitant.  So what's going on here?  Did Lo witness something horrible?  Is she going mad because of the burglary?  As readers, we're never quite sure.

With the mysterious premise and plenty of suspects to go around, The Woman in Cabin 10 reads like an Agatha Christie novel.  It's well written with tons of twists, and Ware succeeds in giving the reader the same sense of claustrophobia that Lo is going through.  I couldn't put it down.

MY RATING - 4

How to Find Love in a Bookshop (Veronica Henry)

When you pick up a novel titled How to Find Love in a Bookshop, you pretty much know you're not going to get elements like crime and suspense.  But that doesn't make Veronica Henry's book any less important than the Erik Larson and Stephen King titles out there.  Because in this day and age, sometimes all it takes to make you feel better is a few hours spent in an enchanting bookshop.

Julius Nightingale is the beloved owner of Nightingale Books, a place where one is always welcome to peruse for hours and the right book will almost certainly make it into your hands.  Julius passes away with a few secrets, including the fact that the bookshop is in trouble.  It's up to his daughter, Emilia, to save the store if she wishes.  In addition to this main arc, the reader is introduced to a whole other cast of characters, but all of them are tied nicely into Nightingale Books.

I simply loved this novel -- there, I said it.  You could almost say that Nightingale Books itself was the main character, and I know I'm not giving anything away (because why would you pick this book up if you didn't know this?) by saying that everyone's storyline comes to a lovely resolution.  How to Find Love in a Bookshop is the novel that people need right now...period.

MY RATING - 4

Grave New World (Stephen D. King)

Stephen D. King’s Grave New World is a thorough discussion of the current global world, divided not as much between conservative and liberal thinking as between globalization and nationalism. The book tackles much of the current state of affairs in Britain with Brexit, America with the current political environment, and elsewhere around the world, neatly packaging a short history of how we got to where we are.

From there, the picture muddles.  While King’s book offers an excellent summary explaining why the world is in its current political state, there is not much concrete substance to promote sound solutions to appease either side of the debate, offering some arguments for continuing international partnerships like NATO and the UN but not more suggestions on how to strengthen those partnerships or how to adapt those that exist to fit a world that is evolving fast.  The instances where he does go into some level of substance on tackling the problems can come across a bit wonky, and King spends a fair amount of time challenging those who are against NATO, the UN, etc. to come up with reasons why nationalism makes sense given the challenges that are on the horizon politically in Russia and China.  He also challenges the global community to sell the deal better but doesn’t offer much in solutions on how to get those who have been burned by automation and free trade back on track.

If you’re into economics, history, and/or politics, and can approach those topics from a non-biased perspective, King provides a great backdrop on how we’ve arrived at the current place we're in and makes a broad argument for global partnerships based on history, economic impact, and overall prosperity that globalization has brought the world through time. The suggestions to improve our partnerships domestically and abroad, however, come up a bit light in my eyes, and it prevents a good read from being a great one

MY RATING - 3

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